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How to Respond to the 2022-2023 Villanova Supplemental Essay Prompts
Villanova University is a stunning university located just a 20 minute drive from the historic city of Philadelphia. Villanova is a medium-sized school with a tight-knit community of nearly 7,000 undergraduate students. So, how can you become a Villanova wildcat? One of the best ways is to make your Nova application stand out from the crowd through your responses to the Villanova supplemental essays.
The Villanova supplemental essays
You have the freedom to answer the Villanova supplemental essays in a way that reveals your striking personality and how well you will fit in the Wildcat community at Villanova. So, read our guide for answering the Villanova supplemental essay prompts in order to make your Villanova supplemental essay answers stand out from the rest!
Essay 1
The first of the Villanova supplemental essays provides applicants with a choice between five essay prompts. Therefore, select a topic from the list below that truly interests you! You’ll want to choose an option that will reveal pieces of your personality that have not yet been revealed in your application.
Option 1
St. Augustine states that well-being is “not concerned with myself alone, but with my neighbor’s good as well.” How have you advocated for equity and justice in your communities? (250 words)
If you are an avid supporter of social justice, then this prompt is the perfect one for you to answer. This question reveals some of Villanova’s core values, including making their community safe and equitable for everyone to thrive within. Therefore, your response should demonstrate how your values align with Villanova’s.
To answer this question in the best way, you should detail a specific example of a time when you advocated for equity and justice in a community. This community can be anything big or small that you are a part of.
For example, you can write about being a part of your hometown or about being a part of the track and field team in your high school. The community itself does not matter; rather, it is important to choose a community where you made an impact and advocated for social justice.
Questions to consider:
- Why did you take action?
- What was your motivation to take this action?
- How did you feel after having taken the action?
- How is your community better/changed from this action?
Option 2
What is the truest thing that you know? (250 words)
This prompt is very open-ended which provides a lot of opportunity for creativity and freedom in your response. The important thing is that you choose something that truly is “true to yourself.” Remember, you do not have to write about what you think the admissions officers agree upon as the ultimate “truest” thing. To answer this prompt, first think about what is important to you.
Questions to consider:
- Do you have any strong morals about something?
- What have you learned throughout your life?
- Have any experiences shifted your perspective?
To excel in this response, explain your reasoning behind why whatever you chose is the truest thing that you know. A good subject to choose would be a passion of yours. For example, if the truest thing you know is that a half note has two beats, you can describe your journey through music. Writing about how your passion for creating music has shaped you into an amazing string player is your unique truth, so share that!
It is important that your response reveals a piece of you: an interest of yours, a component of your personality, etc.. In addition, you must be able to justify why whatever you selected is the truest thing that you know.
Remember, there is no right or wrong! Villanova admissions officers are not looking for a particular answer. The bulk of your response should be justifying rather than stating what the truest thing you know is.
Option 3
One of the themes in St. Augustine’s book, Confessions, is the idea of redemption. Tell us your story of being given a second chance. (250 words)
Answering this question will show that you understand the value of learning from a mistake. The most important thing regarding this prompt is to select a time in your life where you were given a second chance. If a story does not immediately come to mind about this, then think twice about selecting this prompt.
Some good examples of redemption stories could be:
- Feeling too overconfident over a test and not getting a good grade
- Getting rejected from a job you wanted
- When you let down your sports team in some way
- When you were a child, you disrespected your parents
Your answer to this prompt should not be easy; it will stir some uncomfortable feelings such as regret, frustration, anger, and sadness. The most important thing is that you are explaining your actions and how you have learned from this experience.
Villanova wants to see that its applicants can grow from mistakes when given a second chance. Be detailed and narrative in your response! Focus on what you learned, and you will have great success responding to this prompt.
Option 4
In the Villanova community, we believe that we all learn from one another. What is a lesson in life that you have learned that you would want to share with others? (250 words)
Villanova is a tight-knit community that values learning from experiences. To help you brainstorm your response to this prompt you should think about the following questions:
- Do you have a motto you follow?
- Who are the most influential people in your life and what have you learned from them
- Are there any moments, big or small, that have taught you a lesson?
- What is your most influential wisdom?
You should select a life lesson that you continue to follow throughout your life. Once you have selected a life lesson, detail how you came to learn this lesson. Did you learn that perseverance is key after falling off a bike when you were learning how to ride a bike? The key is to demonstrate the value of perseverance and how that trait serves us well in life.
Be detailed in your response. Tell a narrative about what led up to this point in your life where you learned a valuable lesson and how that lesson has helped you since learning it. The ultimate question to ask yourself is why do you want others to learn from your experience? How will the life lesson you learned serve others?
Option 5
Augustine’s “Miracles are not contrary to nature but only contrary to what we know about nature.” Tell us about a societal issue that you believe the wonder of technology is well-poised to help solve. (250 words)
Technology is a huge part of our lives, especially when it comes to education. Therefore, it is important to highlight the benefits of technology to show that you can work alongside technology. In fact, you should be highlighting that you can think critically and use technology to solve problems.
Therefore, brainstorm some issues that you feel passionate about. Once you have accumulated a list of issues, think about which ones can be solved by technology.
Once you have selected your issue and technology – it is time to write! Be sure to detail your experience and passion for your societal issue.
For example, you can choose to write about wanting to combat climate change because you fell in love with Earth after going on a trip to hike the Appalachian Trail. You can detail your love for the nature scenes. Then, you can describe what technological advancement you think will be able to help aid the climate change issue.
Whenever possible, try to connect your interest and societal issues to align with your interests and maybe even your intended major!
Also see: How to write an essay about yourself
Essay 2
Why do you want to call Villanova your new home and how will you become part of our community? (150 words)
This is a typical “why us” essay. The most important thing to do when responding to a “why us” essay is to ensure you have done your research prior to answering the question.
Look on Villanova’s website for any extracurricular activities, classes, majors, traditions, sporting events and much more that stick out to. Once you have accumulated an impressive list, select the aspects of Villanova that you love to write about.
The most important thing is that you are being authentic. If you could care less about basketball, do not write about their basketball program! They want to get a good sense of their applicants and what drew them to apply to Villanova.
Try to avoid writing about the following:
- Writing about Villanova’s acceptance rate or ranking
- The mascot name or school colors
- Restating Villanova’s website
Be sure to become familiar with Villanova’s rich history, culture, and values aside from the more “superficial” aspects of Villanova.
Do not just make a list of every aspect of Villanova that excites you. Rather, you should be detailed in your response to show how you will use the opportunities and experiences Villanova offers to your advantage. Describe what you are excited about participating in and how it will aid your future goals.
Don’t miss: 10 tips for successful college applications
Final thoughts on responding to the Villanova supplemental essays
After reading our guide for responding to the Villanova supplemental essays, it is time to choose your option for Essay 1 and write your essays!
Brainstorming and outlining is the most important part of the writing process. Therefore, take your time and plan out every detail. In addition, be sure that you are selecting an option for Essay 1 that stands out to you. First and foremost, make sure that you are being authentic to yourself.
Be careful not to repeat yourself and to evenly distribute bits of personality and interests throughout your responses. Thanks to our guide, you will be able to ace the Villanova supplemental essays! Good luck!
Additional resources
After you’ve completed the Villanova supplemental essays, give yourself a pat on the back. But remember – your journey is not over. The college application process is a tricky one, but have no fears because Scholarships260 is here! Have you completed the ACT or SAT? If you are wondering about whether or not to send your SAT/ACT scores to test optional schools, check out our guide! Are you wondering if your Coalition Application and Common Application essays are perfect? Most importantly, check out our free scholarship search tool to help you finance your education. Best of luck in the college admissions process from Scholarships360!
Don’t miss: How many colleges should I apply to?
Additional supplemental essay guides
- Boston College (Chestnut Hill, MA)
- Boston University (Boston, MA)
- Pennsylvania State University (Throughout PA)